Son of War
by Drakai
Summary: During the first encounter with Zabuza, something happens to Naruto that will change his life forever.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto spat blood as he glared at the figure on the lake. He and his team had just gotten their first C-Rank mission, only, it was not C-Rank at all. The first clue was the appearance of the Demon Brother, Kiri's Chunnin level missing Ninja. Kakashi had disposed of them quickly. But, as they progressed, they were met by Kiri's ultimate assassin, who was also a missing Ninja. Momochi Zabuza. The combined strength of Naruto and Kakashi had managed to hold him off, but he soon summoned backup, in the form of a woman about Naruto's age, but more powerful than even Zabuza himself.

And now they stand. Naruto, panting and bleeding from multiple slash wounds gained from Zabuza, with Kakashi doing a remarkable impersonation of a pincushion. Their other two teammates were of no help either. They fainted, along with their civilian client when Zabuza had first arrived.

Naruto shakily got up, but was met with an unfortunate event. Zabuza stabbed his sword through his gut. Kakashi stared in horror, and the other Ninja, Haku her name, watched on in curiosity. But none expected what was to happen next.

Fire surrounded Naruto and burned into him. It entered all the crevices, even the eyes, and started changing him. He grew, a few inches over six feet, and became much more bulky. His clothes had also changed. Armor appeared all over him, gauntlets, with the left being far larger than the other, shoulder guards and the rest.

The sword itself shot out of him and imbedded in the ground a foot or two away, with the handle facing him. It had also stated changing. It grew even more massive, but no longer a slab of metal, but a true twin bladed sword with skulls engraved all over its surfaces.

Naruto lay on one knee, panting, and the others stared in shock and awe. Then three stone skulls appeared around Naruto, and spoke.

"It seems that the young rider has awakened." One spoke

"Who…. Who are you?" Naruto raised his head, and the other saw the changes. His eyes had turned full white, nothing else was seen, and they were shining. His whisker marks had disappeared, and in their place a half circle above his eyes, which was glowing orange in color appeared. His voice was also deeper.

"We are the Charred Council. For centuries, we have kept the balance of the three kingdoms, The Kingdom of Men, Heaven and Hell. To this end, we employed our agents, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Death, Strife and Fury."

"What happened to me?"

"You have awoken your power, and your ancestry. You, Naruto, are the Son of War, the First of the Horsemen."

"And my mother?"

"Uriel, the Archangel of Heaven's forces. The two were first enemies, Uriel believing War killed her previous lover, but when she saw the truth, she fell in love with him."

"You were born of that union."

"At first, we did not approve of the relationship, but War made it quite…. clear, that he would not take kindly to meddling in his happiness, and both his brothers and his sister stood by him. Over time, we grew to accept the fact."

"After you were born, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, one of Hells mightiest generals, attacked a human village, in order to lure War into a trap. Seeing as how Uriel was in that village, in the process of giving birth to you, powerless, he did all he could to stop the demon in its tracks. But, he was defeated."

"The demons took him and his wife into their realm, to hold prisoner. We cannot go there, or send the other Horsemen, for that would cause war within the Three Kingdoms once again."

Naruto's eyes glowed fiery red. "Where are they?" He growled.

"In the Ninth Level of the Ninth Hell, where Samael leads the Hoards of the Damned."

"But you will never reach the Circle as you are now."

"So take your father's blade, Chaoseater, and stand against the Armies of Hell, as your father did once before."

Naruto took the sword by the handle, and pulled it out of the ground. A shockwave hit the earth, and the sword's power, as well as Naruto's, spiked to an enormous level felt all throughout the land. Sasuke, having awakened along with Sakura when the Council appeared, was both scared shitless and salivating at all the power.

**Heaven**

Michael, having felt the power, raised his head and smiled warmly.

_Soon, my sister, you shall be free once more._

**Hell**

Samael was pacing in front of the prison of War and Uriel, when he too felt the power. He looked up and snarled, smashing a few demons that were too close.

Both Uriel and War too felt the power, and smiled proudly, squeezing each other's hand.

_Come Naruto, and let Hell know why they should fear the Son of War._

**Charred Council Palace, Horsemen Chambers, Stables.**

Death was tending to Ruin, his brother's steed, as he had done for fifteen years, when the shockwave hit. Ruin lifted its head, and shook its main, eyes blazing red. Death looked at ruin, and then to his brother and sister who were just running into the stables.

"Death, is it….?" Strife spoke.

"Yes, Strife. The time has come to see our nephew, and give him the gifts that would help him if he is to succeed in freeing our brother and his wife. Come Ruin, it is time to take you to your new master." The steed neighed, and stomped the ground anxiously.

**Earth**

Naruto snapped his back and leaned the sword against his shoulder.

"We have one more gift to help you on your journey."

"We will remove the taint of the demon that is Kyuubi, and put another soul inside you, that will aid you in the upcoming trails and battles." The skulls focused beams of fire on him, and a red orb was seen slowly coming out, followed by screaming. As soon as it reached the Council, it disappeared, and a white orb flew to Naruto, much faster than the last. As soon as it assimilated into Naruto, a figure of an angel dressed in a golden gown, with massive white feather wings and an old, wise face, appeared. He bowed to Naruto, and smiled.

"Hello, Naruto. My name is Azrael. I am the Angel of Death, and a longtime friend of your father. I hope I help you in your endeavor to free him." Naruto nodded to the angel, and turned once again to the Council.

"I thank you for your help, Council."

"Think nothing of it. One more thing. When you have time, seek out the Black Hammer. He will help you." A number of black portals appeared around Naruto, and a dozen or so demons of various sized and states of ugliness appeared. "Let's see what you got, Horseman."

Naruto frowned at the demons, and stabbed the nearest one, cleaving it in two. He swung his blade and decapitated another, before grinding it against the ground, splitting the third. Then two larger ones charged, one from each side. Naruto jumped, and swung himself and his blade in a circle, cutting both their heads open. Four more, only smaller, tried surrounding him, but he made a circle with Chaoseater, and cut them in half. The last ones to charge were some bat like creatures. He jumped at one, sticking his sword in its gut, before swinging to the next, carrying his sword with him, cutting more of the bat-like demon in the process. He repeated the same until all four were dealt with.

When he finished the demons, their bodies, along with the blood that spattered him, evaporated.

"Nice." Was all Azrael had to say.

"Impressive, Horseman."

"We must go now."

"Goodbye, and good luck."

**How do you like my new idea?**

**At first, I thought of killing Naruto's parents, but then I got thinking. Hey, War's a Horseman, right. Meaning, if he's killed, the Council will revive him again or something like that. Not mush sense in that now is it. And I decided to give Uriel this chance, because I think she went through Hell and back in the game. Plus….. she's hot.**

**Review, and tell me who you want to be paired with Naruto (the more uncommon, the better; I may not go with the popular vote, seeing as how I don't like to overuse a pairing), and who you want to appear from the game, other than the ones already mentioned.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, that was….. unexpected." Kakashi dead panned when the skulls left.

"Understatement of the year." Zabuza murmured. He turned to Haku. "Hey, Haku, we're sticking with these guys." Haku raised an eyebrow. "You really wanna fight him?" He jabbed his thumb at Naruto. Haku gulped and agreed.

"Hey, Dobe…" Of course the duck haired emo had to open his mouth. (*author murmurs* I swear I'm gonna kill the idiot, he's ruining my story). Naruto snickered, while Sasuke glared at the sky. You really think that's gonna do something?

"As I was saying…. Where did you get that power?" Naruto sweat dropped.

"You really are stupid, aren't you? The flaming skulls said it just a few minutes ago." Now everybody sweat dropped, but Sasuke didn't look embarrassed in the slightest, for that was unbecoming of the mighty Uchiha clan. Prick.

"Give me that power." He demanded in what he thought was his superior voice. IT just made him sound more stupid.

"Um…. No."

"I will have that power even if I have to fuck you to get it." You could actually hear the sound of crickets chirping as Naruto, along with Kakashi and Zabuza took a few steps back, holding their hand over their rears. Haku just sweat dropped.

"OK, new rules." Kakashi said. "When we get to the house, Sasuke gets his own room. And from now on, you are always to be in the front line." (I cannot believe I just wrote that. Ugh.)

After that little….. incident, we find Team 7 and guests at Tazuna's household. The four adults, or, rather, everybody but Sasuke and Sakura, were having a meeting.

"We have to get this over with as soon as possible." Naruto said. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his sword leaning a few inches to his left.

"I know you're anxious to get started on your training, but one thing at a time, Naruto." Kakashi said. "Something like this cannot be solved too fast, lest it happens again."

"I have an idea." Zabuza said. "Seeing as how we're not back yet, Gato will believe we've failed. So, he'll send his own army against us. We just bring Tazuna's entire family with us on the bridge. I'm pretty sure Gato'll be there either today or tomorrow." They all agreed to this and went to sleep.

The following day, the group were just approaching the bridge, when they heard noise, and clashing metal. Kakashi instructed Sasuke and Sakura to keep an eye on the civilian family, while the rest of them deal with the army.

The army consisted of some three hundred thugs, with Gato at the front.

"It seems that little Zabuza has betrayed me. Oh, well, I wasn't gonna pay you, anyway. Charge." The thugs charged them, but were no match for the four seasoned Ninja.

Naruto stepped forward, and Gato growled.

"I know that sword." He said. "It is the sword that ended my mother's life."

"And who was your mother."

"Do not play dumb with me, Horseman. You slew my mother Tiamat with that sword."

"I think you have the wrong generation."

Gato laughed. "Even better. The Horseman killed my mother, so I will kill his son. Payback's a bitch." He summoned portals, from which emerged dozens of demons, mostly those bat like creatures. He himself changed too, into a larger, more grotesque, bat demon.

A particularly large demon appeared behind Naruto, and arched his blade, going for a swing at his head. Before he could finish the blow, his legs were taken off by some unseen force, only two bangs being heard. Everybody turned to the direction where the bangs came from.

There were four horses there, but only three of them had riders. On the white horse, a lean figure with a mask over his face, and two guns in his hands, the barrels smoking. A woman rode the black horse, armed with a glowing whip. The figure on the pale horse, though, everybody recognized. He had long black hair, tied in braids. His face was skull like, and his physique also resembled a skeleton's. The rider less horse was fiery red, wearing warrior armor. It stomped the ground, and walked to Naruto. As it got to him, it sniffed him, and nuzzled his cheek.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, petting the horse's mane.

"I am Death." The figure answered. "This is my brother Strife, and sister, Fury. And War…. is our brother."

"And that would make Naruto your nephew, correct?" Kakashi commented.

"Indeed."

"And the horse?"

Death chuckled, while Strife groaned. "Here we go."

Death elbowed him, and cleared his throat. "A Horseman of the Apocalypse must have a worth steed. Strong, swift and without fear. Such is the horse of War. His name…. is Ruin." The now named Ruin shook his mane. "He is a stallion born of smoke and flame. Bred for battle, it takes a powerful rider to harness Ruin." Naruto locked eyes with the horse, neither looking away. "There are places on this earth that Ruin cannot go. Yet, a man without his horse may still ride. But these creatures cannot truly serve a Horseman of the Apocalypse." Ruin licked Naruto's cheek, and Naruto mounted the horse. "For what follows War….. but Ruin."

"Drama queen." Fury muttered.

"Shut it, sis."

"Come Ruin." Naruto drew his sword. "Let's ride."

Naruto charged straight for Gato, slaying demons left and right. He noticed that his attacks were even more powerful as he rode Ruin. Gato screeched, and charged at Naruto, the two in some kind of jousting match. A moment before collision, Ruin steered slightly to the left, allowing Naruto to cut off one of Gato's wings. The demon fell to the ground, screeching. Ruin slowly approached him, and Naruto cut off the other wing.

"Wait…" Gato spoke. "I have power. I can grant you any wish."

"Can you bring back my parents?" Was all Naruto said before impaling the creature's head with his sword.

The other three Horseman clapped.

"Nicely done, kid." Strife said. "I don't think even your father could've done better."

"Where were you?" Naruto asked.

"We're sorry." Fury said. You could hear sorrow in her voice. "But we cannot appear on earth unless the seventh seal is broken. The council gave us this opportunity to talk to you, but we don't have much time."

"Each of us has a gift for you." Strife said, throwing Naruto a gun he had on his belt. "This is mercy, one of my guns. I think you will find it very useful."

"I already gave you my gift." Death said, pointing to Ruin. "He has an intangible form you can keep him in when not riding."

"And from me… this." Fury gave him a necklace that was in the shape of a sword with an angel wing on either side. "This belonged to your mother. She managed to send it to us just before demons took her. It has the power to combine your dormant angel core with your current power, unlocking an advanced Chaos Form."

"Even though we cannot travel freely, you have no such limitations." Death said. "So visit us sometimes, nephew."

"We must go now." Fury said, kissing his forehead. "Bye, little Naruto."

"See ya, kid. Kick some ass." Strife said enthusiastically, making everybody sweat drop.

"*Sigh* Goodbye, Naruto." With that, the three left.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are they always that…" Naruto asked Azrael.

"Interesting? You have no idea. Strife is usually even crazier; Fury's wicked with a softer side towards her family, and Death….. Well, he has a thing for drama." He answered, causing Naruto to sweat drop.

"Alright, seeing as how we've dealt with Gato, all we have to do is wait for the bridge to finish, and we can go." Kakashi eye-smiled.

Two days later, we find Team 7 and the Momochi family saying goodbye to the village. Inari was hugging Naruto's leg, crying.

"Bye, kid, see ya sometime."

"You promise."

"Sure."

As they left, Tazuna turned to the crowd. "Hey, what are we gonna name the bridge?" That earned him a swat from his daughter.

"You honestly have to ask?"

"Right. Great Naruto Bridge it is, then."

"Are you sure you can keep up, Dobe?" Sasuke sneered at Naruto.

"Oh don't you worry 'bout me" As he said this, Ruin appeared beside him. "Hell, I'll even race ya. Last one to Konoha has to shave his own head." Sasuke's eyes blazed, and he took off before Kakashi could interfere. So, he just shrugged and followed him, with the rest going as well.

"So, Ruin, shall we see how Sasuke's shaved skull looks like?" Ruin neighed, almost laughing himself, as they charged, and to the eyes of the casual observer, disappeared.

Sasuke got to the gate, looked around, and started laughing maniacally.

"Hm, what's so funny?" He turned around and saw Naruto leaning on Ruin, both lying on the ground, looking at the clouds. Sasuke could swear the horse laughed at him. He was sure, though, that Kakashi, Zabuza and Haku were. He could hear them.

"Come on, little Uchiha. Get shavin'."

"Wait, so let me get this straight." Sarutobi said as the team reported in his office. "You got stabbed by a sword, then changed, was attacked by demons, two times, no less. Furthermore, you are also the son of the personification of war and one of the most powerful angels of Heaven. And, you plan to wage war on Hell and free your parents."

"That's pretty much it, old man."

"*Sigh* You love to give me migraines, don't you?"

"Not really, that's just an added bonus. Now what about these two?" Naruto jabbed his thumb at the two rouge ninja.

"Zabuza will be Jounnin and his daughter Chunnin. Now get, I need my quality time."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Enjoy the book."

After accompanying Zabuza and Kakashi to the administration office and finding them a suitable apartment, Naruto went to his own, finally being able to get some rest. He narrowed his eyes when he got to the door, only to find it unlocked. _I always lock the door. What the…._ He grasped the hilt of his sword and slowly entered his apartment.

He heard noises coming from the kitchen\dining room, and slowly entered the area. What he saw there, was not what he expected.

"Come in, Naruto-kun. I made tea."

A beautiful, dark haired woman was sitting at his dining table with a cup of tea in front of her, another one at the seat she motioned, not even looking at him. He leaned his sword against the wall, eyes still narrowed, and sat down.

"Who are you? And how did you get here?"

"Tea first, talk later." She scolded him playfully. He sniffed the cup of tea and, not finding any poison, took a sip. It was delicious.

"Now then, to answer your second question first, I teleported here."

"Then why was my door unlocked?"

She giggled mischievously and went on, ignoring the question. "And for the first one, why, I am Kami."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You'll forgive me if I don't believe you."

"Of course, I wouldn't believe me either. Let's see….. How to prove to you that I really am Kami…."

"I don't know. Do something Kami-ish."

"Kami-ish?" She giggled "How about I tell you something only you know?"

"Sure, that'd work."

"Ok then. When you were five, you…" She whispered the rest to him, making him blush.

"Well I'll be…. You are Kami." She giggled. "Still, why are you here? Surely you got something better to do."

"Nope, actually. I came for a visit."

"A visit?"

"You see, Naruto-kun, I've been watching you for quite a long time, but laws state that I cannot show myself to any human, or interfere in their affairs. Lucky for me you're no longer human." She smiled at him.

"I'm not?"

"Your mother's an angel and your father's War. You think you're still human?" She raised an eyebrow, making him blush a little out of embarrassment. "Any way, I came here to meet you personally and wish you good luck. Who knows, maybe we'll see each other again." She disappeared in a flash of white.

_Well that was interesting._

_I must say I didn't expect that. _Azrael said. _But now that you met your mother's employer, what do you think of her?_

… _She's hot._

**Sorry if it's short. But seriously people, vote already.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The pairing has been decided, and I daresay it's pretty obvious. Now on with the story.**

Naruto sighed as he watched Sasuke get attacked by Tora, the daimyo's wife's cat. "Seriously, you'd think that, given how powerful I am, Sarutobi'd give me Chunnin rank, at least. But no, I have to be stuck with the broody bastard and his puppy. Gah, stupid Sandaime."

"Now Naruto." Kakashi chimed in from his position next to him, also watching the rather funny scene. "Don't curse the Hokage. It's never good for your health. Besides, if you were a Chunnin, you'd miss all the fun. Not to mention seeing an Uchiha get his ass handed to him by a house cat."

Naruto chuckled. "Heh, yeah, I guess you're right. Oh well, not like I can do anything to change it."

"Actually, you can." Kakashi said as the other two squad members gathered around, Sasuke's newly bald head scratched like crazy, holding the now tied up cat in his arms. "Here are the forms for the upcoming Chunnin exams. If you choose to take them, meet at the Academy in three days at 0800 hours. See ya." He poofed away, leaving the cat to his team. Sasuke turned to Naruto, intent on making him deliver the monstrosity, but found him nowhere in sight. He then threw the cat at his pink teammate, grunted out the instructions for her and went into town to see if there was a wig shop. Damn that Dobe.

Walking through the village, Naruto's mind wandered to his 'teammates'. _I wonder, will Sakura have enough brains to not show up. But then again, this being Konoha, that'd probably mean me or Sasuke wouldn't be able to advance. So not likely._ He was brought out of his thoughts by a yell. _What the… Oh crap, that sounded like the little Kono-brat._ He rushed in the direction of the yell, finding Konohamaru being held by some black-pajama-wearing weirdo, while some blond girl was trying to get him to let go.

"Come on, Kankuro, the brat's not worth the trouble. But if _he_ finds out…"

"Relax, will ya, he's not here. I'll make it quick."

"Oy, freak show, let the brat go or I'll make stitching up them pajamas you're wearing a nightmare." The two ninja turned to Naruto, the male's face turning into a scowl, and the female's into a charming smile.

"Who the hell are…" He was bopped on the head by the blond girl's fan.

"I'm so sorry about my brother's behavior. My name is Temari, and his is Kankuro." She sashayed to him, brushing his cheek with her fingers. Naruto swore he heard the skies crackle. "How 'bout we go back to your place and I'll… _make it up to you?" _She blew on his ear.

Naruto just pushed her out of the way, making her huff. "Sorry, lady, I'm busy."

"Naruto, let the child go. You are an embarrassment to out village." A red-haired figure flickered into view, surrounded by sand. Kankuro became very nervous when the boy arrived, and Temari gained a fearful look in her eyes.

"Um... Gaara... I..."

"Shut up or I'll kill you." He turned to Naruto. "I'm very sorry about my foolish brother. My name is Sabaku no Gaara, and these are my brother and sister…"

"Kankuro and Temari, yeah I know. The blond chick introduced them already. My name is Naruto."

"You are very strong, Naruto. Mother does not seem to wish your blood. That is… strange."

"Tell me, is this mother of yours sealed inside you." Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow, and Temari and Kankuro started to fidget. "I'll take that as a yes. Then you'd best listen to 'her'. Oh, and if you kill someone from Konoha, then I'll kill you. See ya in the exams." Naruto made a 'shoo' motion to Konohamaru and the two of them left.

"Thanks, boss. You really saved my neck back there." Naruto just chuckled at the kid and patted him on the head, before heading home.

Three days later, Naruto arrived at the Academy to see the other two waiting for him. He looked at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow, specifically at his now-normal hair. "You're wearing a wig, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Dobe. Let's get inside."

_One flight of stairs, two flights of stairs…_ Naruto counted as they climbed to room 301. _Huh? We're already here? Oh, I see. A Genjutsu. Neat. Now we just need to…_

"Get out of my way and disable the damned Genjutsu on the sign.

_I really hate that kid._

_**I can tell.**_ Came the voice of Azrael. Naruto grunted as he grabbed the Uchiha by the back of his shirt, dragging him to the stairs, all the while muttering insults at him.

"You dumb piece of shit, you could have just kept that gaping hole you call a mouth shut and used the empty chasm where your brain should be for one second, but you just had to increase the damned competition by almost three-fold. Stupid motherfucker." He threw the avenger boy in front of a sweat dropping Kakashi, who cleared his throat.

"Right, well, after that little lecture, I'm glad to see all three of you here. Because, quite frankly, without one, the other two would've been sent home at this point."

"Figured as much." Naruto mumbled.

"Now go in there and make me proud." Kakashi eye-smiled, pushing the three of them inside.

"Hey Forehead girl." Ino smacked Sakura across the back, making her lurch forward.

"Gah, don't do that, Piggy. What do you want? Ino? INO?" She screamed in her ear when she noticed the blond girl wasn't paying any attention to her. She followed her line of sight to Naruto, who was talking with Chouji and Shikamaru.

"Wow, who's that stud?"

"Him? That's just Naruto-Baka."

"That's Naruto?" Ino licked her lips. "Well, I guess I'd better go and say hi."

She sauntered to Naruto, a bit put off when he didn't even turn to face her, but she wrapped her hands around him left arm nevertheless.

"Hello, Naruto. My, you've grown."

"Hello Ino." He didn't even turn to face her. "So, you wanna have a few matches after the Exams?" He asked Shikamaru.

"Sure, I don't have a decent challenge anymore." Ino's eyebrow was twitching at this point. (I promise I'm gonna do just one more scene after this one. Just 'cause I can)

"Ahem, ahem. As I was saying, you sure look handsome today." She let loose one of her dazzling smiles at him.

"Thanks." Ino huffed and decided to try one more thing.

"You know, I'm free after the Exam. Maybe you'd like to get some dinner with me?" Naruto sweat dropped.

_What is it with girls and flirting with me all of a sudden. I bet dad never had to deal with this. Then again, he was too busy killing demons._ This time he was sure the sky crackled. _Ok, where are the fucking demons when you need them._

"Sorry, I'm busy after the Exam."

"Oh, but Naruto…"

"Alright, sit your asses down and shut up." Thanking whoever was listening at the moment that the proctors arrived, he took his seat which was thankfully next to Shikamaru and the wall and away from both Ino and Temari. _Damn troublesome blondes._ He rolled his eyes. _Great, now I'm starting to sound like Shikamaru._

_**Imagine the irony if you were still a blond.**_ Naruto sweat dropped at his tenant's musings.

"Now then." The examiner, who turned out to be Zabuza, started to explain the exam. "In front of you is a paper with exactly nine questions you have forty five minutes to answer. You will get the tenth one at that time mark. Questions?" He ignored several raised hands. "None? Good. Begin."

Naruto turned the paper around, and glanced at the questions. _You know any of these?_

_**I will have you know I am an angel, not a ninja library.**_

_Right._ He glanced at the others and saw Sasuke use his Sharingan to copy one of the other's movements. _Huh, when'd he get that? Never mind, he's still a wimp. _Gaara was using some cond of sand-eye thing, Tenten, the girl from his friend Lee's team was using mirrors, and Hinata and her cousin Neji were using the Byakugan. _Dammit, I don't have any cheating-like skills. All of mine are full out assault and slaughter. _He glanced at Shikamaru who nodded his head slightly. _Ha, always count on Shika to get something done fast so you can be lazy after. _He felt a force control his arms and let go. _I owe you one, man._ He mouthed to the lazy Gennin. _ No questions asked._

"Alright, punks, stop writing. Time's up. Here's the tenth question. But first, if anny of you maggots want to stop now, you can."

"What if we do?" one random Gennin sked.

"Your whole team gets ousted."

"Then why the hell would we do that in the first place."

"'Cause if you don't get the answer just right, you'll be banned from ever taking the exams again."

"This is bullshit." Kiba hollered.

"Sucks to be you. Any takers." Zabuza smirked as he watched team after team leave. He was kinda disappointed he only managed to halve the numbers.

Naruto narrowed his eyes when he saw Sakura glance at Sasuke, then shakily and slowly begin to rise her hand. _Oh hell no! _"Shikamaru, control Sakura. Don't let her raise her hand." He whispered. Shikamaru made the hand signs and Sakura felt her hand being forced down.

_WHAT THE HELL?_

_**SHUT UP, BITCH, I'M TRYING TO SLEEP! DON'T WAKE ME UP UNLESS IT'S IN SASUKE-KUN'S BED! GOT IT? CHA!**_

"Done." Shikamaru whispered back. Naruto nodded.

"If that's all, then I regret to inform you that you pass. You will…" He was cut off by a tan ball slamming itself in the wall, the banner with _'KONOHA'S SEXIEST FEMALE ALIVE, THE GREAT MITARASHI ANKO-SAMA, IS HERE! REJOICE!_' written in big, red letters popping in front of a pissed off Zabuza, making some of the Gennin snicker.

"Dammit, woman, you're early." The very provocatively dressed Kunoichi blushed in embarrassment and scratched the back of her head, making Naruto and Shikamaru sweat drop.

"Is she for real?" Shikamaru wondered.

"Sadly. And she's not even the oddest ninja Konoha has to offer."

"Troublesome."

"27 Teams?" Anko did a quick head count. "And you have such a high reputation, too. But don't worry, I'll be sure to… _cut _them in half, at least." She smiled wickedly, making most of the Gennin gulp and Shikamaru mutter another 'Troublesome' under his breath. "Alright brats, meet me at training ground 44 in an hour."

Naruto stood up, when he felt a hand on his shoulder and slowed down, so he and Shikamaru would be the last ones out of the classroom.

"That favor you mentioned…"

"Like I said, no questions asked. So?" Naruto raised an eyebrow when Shikamaru blushed and looked away. "Oh, girl trouble. Do tell." Shikamaru blushed again and glanced at Ino. "Ah, say no more. I'll get you two on a date. But from there on, it's all you." Shikamaru nodded

"Oy, you two." Anko shouted at Naruto and Shikamaru as they got to the clearing in front of the overly dramatic fence with signs like 'Forest of Death! Do no Enter!' 'Danger! Danger!' and other similar ones. "Because you're late, you get to hand out these forms." Naruto rolled his eyes and muttered 'Crazy Bitch'. She grinned and threw a kunai that nicked his cheek. She then appeared behind him and licked his blood. _Oh come on!_ The sky crackled again, making Naruto sweat drop. Only this time the black rain clouds started forming He looked up. _Kami, I swear I'm taking you on a date as soon as I'm done here. _The sky stopped crackling, the clouds dispersed, and there was even a rainbow. Naruto sweat dropped again.

"Ok, here's the gist of it." Anko said as Naruto and Shikamaru handed the forms out. "When you sign on the dotted line, you agree that the village of Konoha is not to be held responsible in the very likely case of horrifying death. Which is a bitch to clean up, let me tell you." She grinned maliciously at them. "See ya in five days. Do try not to die. Somebody has to clean up all the gore and blood littering the pretty forest." Most of the Gennin took a collective gulp and rushed off to find their gates.

"What's with the scroll?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the blue scroll Sasuke was carrying.

"Hn, we need a brown one to pass."

"Yeah, she explained this already! But since you decided on being late! Baka!" Naruto made an 'Ah!' noise, before snatching the scroll from Sasuke's fingers.

"Dobe, what the hell-urk!"

"Baka, put Sasuke-urk!"

"Shut up. You're both annoying." He proceeded to drag them by their shirts through the open gate and into the woods.


	5. Chapter 5

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Dobe?" Sasuke screamed as he was being dragged by Naruto through the Forest of Death in the direction of the tower.

"Making this damned test quicker. Now shut up while I find a team with the brown scroll." Before he could react, two arm-like things grabbed him and pulled him deeper into the forest. The other two looked in the direction he vanished for a moment, when Sasuke turned around.

"What do we do now, Sasuke-kun?"

"Get the scrolls and get to the tower. The Dobe can get eaten for all I care. No one of these weaklings can stand up to my Uchiha might." As he finished, he and Sakura were blown away by a giant gust of wind.

Naruto flew through the air, wondering exactly what grabbed him. He landed on his feet in a huge ditch when he saw a team from Ame stand in front of him. A girl about his age with fiery orange hair and icy blue eyes stepped in front of the other two. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? The famed Son of War."

"Um, do I know you, lady?" Naruto looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

"No, you don't. However, your father killed mine, so I'm here for some revenge." Naruto face palmed.

_The hell? Just my luck._

The other two ninja smirked and the tree transformed into giant insectoid creatures. Two had dark green scales, while the girl's were orange, same as her hair, with a big blue globe on her stomach. She waved her arm-spikes and summoned two portals, calling more demons to her aid. Naruto face palmed and groaned, before unstrapping Chaoseater form his back and calling Ruin.

Naruto mounted Ruin as the horse neighed, and charged the three bigger demons, maneuvering around the smaller ones and slashing them with his sword. The Grieverette, tried to cut Ruin's legs off, but the horse fazed through her spikes, launching Naruto into the air and on one of the other two insectoid. As he stabbed Chaoseater in its skull, the eyes of the word flashed red, and the sword began to suck some kind of energy from the demon. When it got its fill, Naruto pulled it out from the skull and slammed it into the ground, making a shockwave hit all the other demons, killing the minor ones and knocking the big ones off their feet.

Naruto dashed at the other insectoid, and grabbed one of its legs while it was still in the air, slamming the giant demon on the ground a few times, before throwing it and hurling his sword right after. The sword impaled he demon in the chest, killing it. Naruto pulled the sword out of the carcass, leaning it on his shoulder, and smirked at the Grieverette. The insectoid demon screeched at him, before hurling giant rocks at great speeds.

Naruto jumped, landing on the first one, and made his way to the demon boss by use of the rocks she was throwing. He pushed the last one with his legs, giving him a little boost, launching him in the air. He slashed the glowing green globe on her stomach as he fell, cutting a little hole in it. He stabbed the Chaoseater in the exposed flesh, making the Grieverette screech. She kicked him back, throwing him a few feet away. He smirked when he got up and dashed to her, kicking his sword as he did. The sword made its way through the flesh and scales like they were butter, and took the demon with it, nailing her to a tree. The Grieverette moaned and whined as Naruto approached with a glint in his eyes. He took the sword out and beheaded her in one clean move. He shook the gore off of his sword and picked up the brown scroll the girl dropped before she transformed, calling Ruin he mounted the horse, before looking around.

"Great. Now which way do I go?" His question was answered as one area of the jungle to the south turned slightly lighter than the others. "Thanks." He spoke to the sky as he rode off to find his 'team'.

Sasuke panted as the newly revealed Orochimaru tossed him around the clearing. "You know, Sasuke-kun, I'm a little disappointed. I rather thought you'd put up a much bigger challenge. Oh well, I guess I'll just give you the gift and go." His neck extended and he bit Sasuke on the shoulder, transferring the Cursed Seal to him. "You will seek me out for power." He said before he left, leaving Sakura to screech at Sasuke's unconscious form.

This was the sight Naruto and Ruin came to as they entered the clearing. Sakura hadn't moved an inch, she didn't even hide her crush so no one could hurt hime. Naruto shook his head sadly, mimicked by Ruin, and grabbed her and Sasuke, holding him to either side of his horse as they rode to the tower.

"Naruto-baka, get off of that animal and let Sasuke-kun ride it. He's injured." Naruto glared at her and lowered Sasuke a little, so his head would scrape the ground.

"There is no way in hell I'm letting either you or that bastard child of a goat and an idiot ride Ruin. So shut up." She opened her mouth, but closed it right away as e growled at her, his eyes flashing white.

Dumping Sasuke and Sakura in the infirmary, he went to his room to grab some shut eye.

"Damn." He yawned, leaning Chaoseater against the wall closest to the bed. "I wonder how many teams will pass this exam." He hummed as he stared at the ceiling. "Gaara's team definitely. Shino's and Shikamaru's too. Probably that spectacle guy's. I just hope I don't run into children of dad's old enemies. Again." He closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes to a white field with two chairs and a table with tea on it. Having a pretty good idea how he got there, he sat at the table and waited. Two minutes later, as he was playing with the teapot lid, flipping it in to the air, Kami appeared in a white flash and sat down on the opposite side of the table, snatching the lid from his hands and pouring them some team.

"So, what brings you here? Actually, I believe the right question would be what brings me here?" He raised an eyebrow as she giggled.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, please don't tell me you've forgotten already. Or do I have to remind you?" Naruto raised another eyebrow before he remembered.

"Ah, the date. You know, I didn't expect you'd actually say yes. Aren't there some gods or something you could date?"

"There are." She got up and sauntered to him, his eyes glued to her frame. "But I'd much rather be with you." She whispered into his ear as she pecked him on the lips slightly, causing his brain to overload with perverted thoughts, launching him back with a nosebleed. "I'll be there at 8 P.M. in five days. Wear something nice." She giggled again as she flashed away.

Naruto groaned as he woke up and checked the clock, finding he had just enough time to get to the main floor arena. He chuckled as he lifted his sword on his shoulder, his eyes flashing white.


	6. Chapter 6

"Congadulations to everyone who came this far." Sarutobi said to the gathered examinees. "Before we move on to the Third…"

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but allow me, Gekkou Hayate, to explain." A sickly-looking Jounnin said. "Frankly, there's too many of you. Any more than ten eight matches in the first round of the Third Exam and it would take too much of our clients' valuable time. So we will be holding some preliminary fights to determine who will advance to the final round. If you do not wish to continue, quitting now will not affect your team as a whole." Two Kiri ninja raised their hands and apologized to their remaining member, before exiting the room. "If there is no one else, then please direct your attentions to the screen." The names on the screen started to rotate before settling down.

**Sasuke Uchiha**

**Vs.**

**Tsurugi Misumi**

"Will everyone but the combatants please go to the spectator area?" The teams split up and stood by their Senseis. "Begin."

Naruto leaned on the railing, ignoring Sakura's screeching for her Sasuke-kun, and focused his eyes on the arena. He watched the Uchiha dodge the elongating limbs of his opponent, unable to use chakra for some reason. He shook his head and rolled his eyes when he heard Sasuke boast of his Uchiha-ness before implanting his opponent's head in the floor with a stolen move from Lee.

The next few matches went by quickly. Kabuto defeated Zaku from Sound by cutting he tendons on his arms and legs with his _**Chakra Scalpel**_, Chouji lose against Shino and his bugs, Kiba, Tenten and Hinata defeat some Kusa nin, with Hinata looking relieved that she didn't draw her cousin.

Lee won against Kabuto's other teammate, Yoroi. The older Konoha ninja had the ability to draw chakra from his opponent, an ability that was nullified in this particular fight since Lee didn't use any chakra, and had far superior Taijutsu to anyone else. Neji, Hinata's cousin, defeated Dosu in mere seconds with his chakra-enhanced _**J**__**ū**__**ken**_ strikes and Shikamaru outsmarted another Sound ninja, Kin, making her face-plant into a wall. Now everyone's eyes were once again on the giant screen as it showed another two names

**Sakura Haruno**

**Vs.**

**Ino Yamanaka**

"Ha, finally. I will defeat you, Ino-pig, and then Sasuke will proclaim his undying love to me, and we'll get married, and then we'll…" She was stopped in her ranting by a slap to the back of her head, courtesy of Naruto, that sent her sailing over the railing and into the arena. She got up and glared at him, but he just ignored her. Ino calmly walked down and faced Sakura.

The referee started the fight and Sakura's mouth launched full throttle. Ino just made a few hand signs as her opponent was distracted, and her body fell to the floor. Sakura stopped talking and her eyes glossed over. She raised a hand and surrendered. As soon as the referee acknowledged her surrender. Ino got up and Sakura continued her tirade. Hayate looked at her for a moment, before telling her to get out of the arena.

"What? But we haven't even started yet."

"You just forfeited."

"WHAT! I DID NO SUCH THING! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU INO-PIG YOU'LL WISH YOU…" She was cut off by a chop to the back of her neck as Kakashi shunshined next to her. He picked her up and took her to where Naruto was standing.

"How's she do?" He asked.

"Pathetic. Ino beat her in a matter of seconds." Kakashi just shook his head sadly.

The Sand Siblings decimated the next three matches, Kankuro and Temari fighting two Ame nin, and Gaara killing a Kusa one. Naruto watched as the sand-wielder walked calmly to the stands, his hands crossed, as the monitor showed the last two names.

**Naruto Uzumaki**

**Vs.**

**Ame no Damasu**

"Um, before we start, does the term 'Horseman of War' mean anything to you?" Naruto asked the Rain ninja.

"Um, no. Should it?"

"Nope. Let's get started." Damasu charged Naruto who swatted him away with his larger gauntlet. The Rain ninja went through the hand seals for the _**Water Bullet**_ technique, and, using the water he jettisoned at Naruto as cover, reached for the umbrella that was sealed in one of his scrolls. Naruto used his sword to divert the water bullet that was heading for his head when he was assaulted dozens of needles. He raised the sword over his head before the needles hit. The wooden senbon bounced off the metal armor, and the umbrella fell to the ground.

"Is that all you got, Fool of Rain?" Damasu growled at Naruto and charged him. Naruto sidestepped the enraged ninja and clotheslined him, bringing him to the ground. He put one of his metallic boot to the Rain ninja's throat. "Surrender." The Ame shinobi did nothing except wriggle as he tried to get the boot off of him. "Surrender!" Naruto squeezed his throat tighter and the rain ninja finally nodded.

"And winner of the final match is Naruto Uzumaki. Now, everyone who has advanced to the next round come down here and draw a number from this box." Hayate held a small wooden box with an opening on the top, and silently went from one Chunnin hopeful to the other as they drew small papers with numbers on them. After getting everyone's designated number, Hayate turned the paper he was scribbling on so that everyone could see it. "This will be the lineup for the Final Round of the Exams."

1st Match: Sasuke Uchiha vs. Neji Hyuuga

2nd Match: Kabuto Yakushi vs. Naruto Uzumaki

3rd Match: Kiba Inuzuka vs. Sabaku no Kankuro

4th Match: Sabaku no Temari vs. Shikamaru

5th Match: Ino Yamanaka vs. Tenten Kurohanma

6th Match: Hinata Hyuuga vs. Rock Lee

7th Match: Sabaku no Gaara vs. Shino Aburame

"We will have a one month brake so that the dignitaries that wish to watch the matches may arrive, and the you Gennin can get some new tricks up your sleeves. Dismissed." Everyone shuffled to get to the exit. Naruto however put a hand on Tenten's shoulder and waited for everyone to get out the door.

"Excuse me, Tenten was it?" She nodded. "You wouldn't happen to know a good smithy in the village, would you?"

"Why ask me?"

"You are a weapons user, correct?" She nodded again. "They I don't doubt you know the best place to get weapons in the village." She nodded at the logic.

"Well, my father owns a shop called 'The Black Hammer'. I can lead you there whenever you want."

"Can you now?" She nodded and motioned for him to follow. She led him to a two-story house at the edge of the Merchant District. The lower floor was a shop without windows, and he guessed that they lived on the second floor. She led him to the basement where they heard a banging sound. The door opened to a simple smithy. Behind the anvil was a seven foot tall figure with red hair and a red beard, with goggles on over his eyes. He waved to the door without looking away from the anvil

"I'll be right with ye." He struck whatever he was working on the anvil two times before he nodded to himself and took the goggles off, turning to his daughter. "Hello, kid. How was yer exam?"

"Fine, dad. This is Naruto Uzumaki, a fellow Gennin. He's here about…" Her father looked Naruto over and motioned for him to follow. He led them to the living room.

"I know that armor."

"As you should." Naruto smirked. "Ulthane, the Black Hammer."

"So, yer alive after all. What can I do for my friend's son?" Tenten looked surprised as she looked Naruto over.

"Whose son?" She asked her father.

"I'll tell you everything later, daughter. Can you leave the two of us alone for a while?" She nodded and went to her room.

"You are hiding yourself, Ulthane."

"Clever, aren't ye? What can I do ye fer?"

"A weapon and new armor."

"And what's wrong with the ones you have now?"

"Nothing, they're good, high quality, but it still feels…. weird. Wrong. I can't explain it."

"They weren't made for ye." He scratched his chin in thought. "Alright, give me a week and I'll make you some good armor and a sword." They got up and Ulthane led his to the door. They shook hands.

"Thank you for the help, Black Hammer." The big man just waved it off. He then handed him a scroll.

"Yer mother left these with me when she went to the hospital. Give 'em back to her when you find her." Naruto nodded and gripped the scroll tighter, exiting the small weapons shop.

**Should I include Vulgrim in the fic?**

**Also, visit my profile and vote in the poll there.**


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto strolled through the village four days after the end of the Second Exam finding himself with nothing worth mentioning to do. He stopped by the Nara household the day before for the game he promised Shikamaru and ended up staying for lunch with the invitation to come again soon, backed by a rather large frying pan.

"Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" He asked himself before his eyes fell on a flower shop that was surrounded with a suspiciously familiar beam of light from the sky. "Shit." He hurried to the village center to find a shop with clothes.

Naruto spent the better part of the day searching for a shop where he wouldn't have to fight the shopkeeper for the clothes with little to no luck. He was just about to quit and go borrow something from Kakashi or Asuma when he spotted a quiet little store that was in a back alley behind some bigger ones. As he approached the door he noticed two strange ornaments hanging. He shrugged and entered the shop.

The first thing he noticed was that the shop was bathed in a soft orange and blue hue. The next was that it was completely bare. The only thing in there were more of those hanging ornaments that had a blue glow and a giant stone circle in the ground with some kind of blue runes on it. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the circle and reached for his weapon with one hand, gingerly tapping the stone with his foot.

"You might want to stop doing that." Naruto jumped back and pulled the sword, aiming it at the voice. He saw a blue demon with horns on his head and some kind of golden nails. "Now, now." The demon placated the young horseman, waiving its arms. "I mean you no harm. I was actually sent here to help you."

"Help me?"

"Yes. My name is Vulgrim." The now named Vulgrim bowed to Naruto. "And once, a long time ago, a good friend of your father."

"You know, you're not the first to tell me that."

"I am aware. We three, myself, Ulthane and Azrael were the ones that helped your father most on his journey to regain his honor. He might count Uriel as well, but that's a difference of opinion."

_**Trust him, Naruto.**_ He heard the aged angel's voice inside his head. _**He is speaking the truth.**_

"Well, you have his vote." Naruto motioned to his head making Vulgrim grin. "So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Who sent you?"

"Why Kami, of course, with some aid from the Charred Council. The Council really has changed from our time. They sent me here to be your merchant."

"My merchant?"

"Yes, just like your father bought enchantments, potions and the like from me on his journey, I offer you a wide variety of things for yours, or whenever you have need of them." Naruto raised his eyebrow and looked around the room. Vulgrim grinned and waved his arms around. A bright blue light shone through the room before revealing shelves, tables, racks and a whole lot more, each one filled with the most curious stuff.

"Woah."

"Indeed. Now, how can I help you today?"

Naruto opened his mouth to say something before closing it in thought, realizing something. "How do I pay you?"

"Hm?"

"I doubt you take human bills, maybe some gold but I doubt it."

"Ah, no worries. Show me your left hand." He extended the big armored hand, the eyes of the skull engraved on it having a light blue glow he hadn't noticed before. "That." Vulgrim pointed to the skull. "Is where your payment for me is stored. The currency I value is souls."

"Souls?"

"Human souls to be precise. But do not worry, each demon you face has a number of souls on him, so you will have enough without the need for random acts of slaughter." A pale ghostly number shot out from the glove. It shoved just over one thousand. "That is the number of souls you currently have. You just have to concentrate and it will appear. And this." The number shifted, showing a chart. "Is the list of all the demons you have killed. They are sorted by strength. Oh my." He pointed to the top two names. They read 'Child of Greaver' and 'Child of Tiamat'. "You already slew the children of both Greaver and Tiamat. I am impressed young horseman."

"Yeah, and they're being a pain in the ass, too. How many of them are there?"

"Four."

"Huh?"

"You are referring to the Four Chosen who War slew to help Samael regain his powers. Each of them had a child beforehand. I would be ready for two more, at least, if I were you."

"Wait, isn't Samael the bastard that has my parents now?" Naruto asked incredulous.

"Indeed. It is a very complicated issue, but I am at your service if you require a storyteller. At the very least you should know your parents' history."

"I'd like that. But some other time. I have a date today."

"Ah, yes, and you would require clothing, yes?" Naruto nodded. "Right this way." Vulgrim motioned with his hand, floating to the cloth racks.

A little over half an hour later Naruto stood in front of the mirror in his new clothes, his armor safely sealed away in a scroll. He now wore a tailored black suit with a vest and tie in the same color, and a blood red shirt under it. The tie had a clip in the form of a pair of wings, one angelic and the other fiery. Naruto had also shortened his long hair, now reaching just under his eyes and falling gradually to his back, the hair taking on a slightly wilder shape.

"Nice." Naruto grinned at his reflection, rubbing his left arm a little. "I never realized how damn itchy that gauntlet is."

"Indeed. Now, if I could direct your attention to here." Vulgrim was floating next to a table with a collection of amulets. "Ladies love little trinkets. I would also suggest flowers, but live things tend to die in my shop, and that is very bad for business." Naruto scanned the amulets before pointing to the one in the middle.

"That one. Uh, will I have enough?"

"No worries." Vulgrim waved his hand. "I'm not _that_ expensive." He pulled the number of souls from the scroll and took a deep breath. "Just like I remember." He sighed fondly. "Will that be all?"

"For now. I look forward to our talk."

"As do I, young horseman." Naruto left the shop with just enough time to book a restaurant and by some flowers.

He walked through the front door of his apartment an hour later with a bouquet under his arm, only to find Kami sitting on his couch, waiting for him. She got up when he came into the room and walked over to him.

She was wearing a strapless white dress that fell all the way down to her ankles and white stiletto sandals on her feet. He also noticed a white silver bracelet and earrings. Nothing around her neck, conveniently enough. Her nails were also painted white.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." He put a loose strand of her raven hair behind her ear.

"Hello Kami-chan. You're looking very beautiful tonight." She smiled at him, doing a little bow.

"And you look quite handsome. Nice suit." Naruto grinned and threw the scroll with his armor on a nearby table before extending the flowers to the goddess. She took them and brought them to her face. "White roses." She commented, taking the scent in. "How sweet of you, Naruto-kun. Shall we." She put the roses on a vase nearby that Naruto was quite sure wasn't there when he left the apartment and offered her hand to Naruto, who took the offered appendage and led her out the door and into the town.

The date went throught without a hitch, just as Naruto made sure it would, and far too soon, in his opinion, it was time for them to retire for the night. They stood in his living room, Kami smiling at him.

"Thank you for the date, Naruto. I had a wonderful time. I'm so glad you didn't get hit by lightning a few days ago." She had an all too sweet smile on her face making him sweat drop and gulp slightly, before shaking himself.

"Here, I have something for you." He took out the ornate case Vulgrim gave him to go with the amulet he chose for her. She opened it and looked over the amulet. It was made from the same material her other jewelry was, unknown to Naruto. It was in the shape of an eclipse with a small circle in the middle of it with a six-point star in the middle of that. There were two feathery wings on either side, four in total, and a feathery tail at the bottom.

"Oh, it's lovely." She giggled slightly, putting the gift around her neck and pecking Naruto on the lips. "I'll tell you what, if you win in the final round of the exams, I'll give you something more than just a kiss after the next date." She giggled at his expression before kissing him again and taking off in a bright flash of light.


	8. Chapter 8

"Surely you can't be serious." Naruto face-palmed. He was at the Hospital, talking to Kakashi, who was there to pick up Sasuke Uchiha., apparently under orders from the council.

"Unfortunately I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."

"What?"

"Sorry Naruto, but orders are orders."

"Yeah, orders from a bunch of civilians." Naruto thought for a few moments before shooting a suspicious look at his Sensei. "They threatened you book, didn't they?" Kakashi said nothing, but a quiet sniffle confirmed Naruto's suspicions. "Alright, fine, I'll manage on my own."

"Sorry again."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto called Ruin and rode away from the building, leaving a still sniffling Kakashi behind.

Naruto decided to stop by at the hot spring for a soak and, after sending Ruin back to his realm, sank into the warm water letting out a groan. Then he felt a pair of soft hands rubbing his chest.

"Women's half's on the other side of the fence."

"Yeah, I know." Kami giggled. "But you're over here." Naruto rolled his eyes, but had a soft smile on his lips.

"You know, I expected the Goddess of Life to be… a little bit more serious."

"I can be serious." She pouted. "I just don't want to. Now pay attention, your new Sensei's peeking on the other side." She disappeared.

"I hate it when she does that." Naruto groaned, opening his eyes. There was an old man with long white hair and a weird getup there, looking through a small hole in the wooden fence. Naruto sighed, before yelling out loud. "Pervert!"

The yell threw the old man off balance, sending him crashing forward, through the weak fence and into the female side of the spring, resulting in a horrendous, for him, and amusing, for Naruto, beating, which left a groaning heap behind. Naruto chuckled slightly, not even bothering to get out of the water.

"Serves you right, old man."

"That was you!" The old man recovered surprisingly quick and growled at Naruto. "Do you have any idea how many weeks of valuable research you ruined?"

"Research? What the hell are you on about, you pervert?"

"Pervert? I'll have you know that I am Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, Walker of the Path to Mount Myoboku, and the one and only author of the best-selling series Icha Icha! Therefore, I am no mere pervert. I AM A SUPER PERVERT!"

"That's not something you should be proud of, old man." Naruto sweat dropped.

"So, who the hell are you, kid."

"Naruto." He answered simply, still relaxing in his bath.

"Naruto, Naruto… The Kyuubi Jinchuriki." Jiraiya's voice was suddenly much more serious.

"Formerly."

"What do you mean formerly?"

"I meat with the Charred Council and they removed Kyuubi and put an angel in his place. I trust dad told you about them?"

"Yeah, he told me everything about him and his wife. I just don't understand how two immortal beings could die."

"They didn't. They were captured by the dregs of hell and are in the final circle." Naruto's eyes turned steely. "And when I'm strong enough I'm going to find them and free them."

"Well then, you can count on my help." The old man said seriously.

"What?"

"Look, I just found out that my only student, the man I thought of as my own son, is alive, after spending fifteen years mourning him and his wife and son. And said son is planning on storming hell to free them. Like fuck am I gonna let you do that all by yourself."

"Thank you… Jiraiya." Naruto smiled. "But, in the meantime, I have a Chunnin Exam to finish in a month and my Sensei has been ordered to teach my teammate exclusively. So I could use someone to help me."

"Sure. Just get dressed first, and I'll meet you at the waterfall by the village wall." The long-haired man disappeared in a poof of smoke and Naruto chuckled to himself, exiting the pool.

**I know, I know, too short. SO deal with it, I'm updating 32 stories in a single bound. Be happy there was anything at all.**

**Also, I have a new Twitter acount, on which I will be posting updates and maybe even new ideas. Check it out, the name's Drakai07, the pic is the same as my profile for FanFiction.**


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